The Path To Diagnostic Excellence And Patient Safety: Fostering Team Collaboration

Abstract

Diagnostic errors represent a significant and complex challenge in healthcare, contributing to substantial preventable patient harm. This article argues that achieving diagnostic excellence and enhancing patient safety requires moving beyond individual clinician effort to embrace system-level, collaborative approaches. It explores the integral role of learning health systems (LHS) as a framework for continuous improvement, aligning science, informatics, and culture to embed best practices in care. The article examines several innovative collaborative models designed to reduce diagnostic error, including the Safer Dx Learning Lab for structured researcher-clinician partnerships, the researcher-in-residence model for co-producing knowledge, and diagnostic performance feedback programs that facilitate peer-to-peer learning. Key barriers to collaboration are addressed, such as punitive safety cultures and clinician burnout, alongside critical success factors like strong leadership, robust data infrastructure, and effective communication that fosters psychological safety. The piece concludes that diagnostic safety is a "team sport," and by investing in these collaborative models and overcoming implementation challenges, healthcare organizations can create a sustainable pathway to diagnostic excellence and significantly improved patient outcomes.